Bold And Intoxicating
by snickers-03
Summary: Sheldon gets drunk one night much to the surprise of Leonard sparking a three year journey of unimaginable and unforeseen events.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Bold And Intoxicating

Fandom: The Big Bang Theory  
Summary: Sheldon gets drunk one night much to the surprise of Leonard.  
Word Count: 1,509

Disclaimer: I do not own The Big Bang Theory.

...

Loud, echoing noises sounded from their living room traveling down the hallway to Leonard's bedroom.

A thump and then nothing but silence. Leonard rolled over in his bed having been awakened from the clattering.

Hastily sitting up he pulled on his tattered haematic colored robe and clamored out into the hallway out towards their living room area.

"Sheldon?" he asked incredulously.

Sure enough, his eccentric room mate was splayed across the wooden floorboards on his stomach having tripped on the two steps leading up and over towards their hallway.

He seemed rather out of it and remained where he was for a moment before rising up onto his knees in a somewhat kneeling position. He innocently gazed up at his best friend, eyes shining slightly with some kind of hidden depth.

"Sheldon! What are you doing?! It's two o'clock in the morning!" Leonard scolded hands firmly planted on his hips. Staring down at the man a mixed look of both crossness and perplexity danced across his features. He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of deja vu as well.

"I'm... uh... " The man trailed off quietly. He seemed sidetracked or possibly... could it be he was drunk? No, no way.

Leonard watched the scientist slowly come to a standing position although he had to brace himself more than once against the side of Leonard's chair. He leaned against it for a moment shakily, his piercing electric blue eyes coming up to meet the shorter man's.

"I've just had the most interesting night, Leonard." he swayed a bit and slurred his words together all at once.

"Are you drunk?!" was all that the tiny man could utter as he shifted his glasses on his face and squinted up at the man.

Sheldon swallowed seemingly nervous about his next step. He swayed again catching himself on the arm rest of the chair and deciding to simply sit down on it rather than trying to remain standing. Leonard's hand instinctively reached out to catch his friend to prevent him from falling and the scientist suddenly felt very warm and feverish. He smiled sweetly at the bespectacled homunculus, a man with whom he had been proud to call himself friends with for nine years.

"Sheldon... " Leonard muttered, his voice filled with reproach.

The man was clearly drunk which was shocking to say the very least. This man which Leonard had grown to know very, _very_ well never drank. He wouldn't even drink coffee lest he become addicted to the caffeine in it and then feel guilty about breaking his promise to his mother. He'd assured her he wouldn't 'do any drugs while living in Gomorrah'. So, needless to say it was very strange for the physicist to look upon this man, this straight laced guy and witness this moment of disgrace.

This renowned scientist, this brilliant man appeared to be completely trashed, head swimming with alcohol and Leonard just did not know how to deal with the situation. He was often confronted with strange and unusual situations when it came to his room mate but this... this was really out there.

"Sheldon... you're drunk. What's going on? What's wrong? Why... why are you drunk?"

Sheldon's eyes were having trouble focusing as he looked all around the room, everywhere he could but his friend's face. Finally, licking his lips he peered into the russet brown eyes of the man as his smile broadened into a wild grin.

"I had to... I had to have a drink because..."

He didn't finish his statement much to Leonard's irritation. He was getting really impatient. It was 2AM and they had work in the morning, in six hours none the less. He was getting nowhere. He reached out for the man's shoulder shaking him slightly to bring his attention fully back to him hoping that the effect would speed up his inner monologue and thus their conversation.

Sheldon's eyes flicked back up to his own shyly. "I'm drunk. I think I need to lie down."

Leonard sighed. It was clear he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Already resigning himself to dealing with yet another one of Sheldon's random moods he reached under his friend's arms lifting him up to a standing stance, then heaving the man up under one of his arms he carefully steered him towards the hallway.

They began walking/stumbling towards their bedrooms and eventually made their way there albeit very slowly. Leonard briefly considered taking him into his own in an effort to keep an eye on Sheldon but ultimately decided that that was silly and he was exhausted and continued on towards Sheldon's own bedroom at the end of the hall.

As they entered, Leonard stumbled slightly having to reach out blindly for the light switch. Sheldon was being no help at all leaning entirely on the smaller man and nearly falling twice. He was obviously quite intoxicated and probably 'black out' drunk.

Finally collapsing onto the man's bed he was able to sit up and rest for a moment before realizing his friend had flopped down onto his back. He wondered just what exactly had gotten into the physicist to make him drink and to drink so much that he was nearly unconscious. He decided to try asking once more.

"Sheldon... what's wrong? Why... _why_ did you get drunk? This is so unlike you. You probably won't remember this in the morning at all."

"I will. Yes... I will. Leonard, I'm not... I'm not that drunk." Sheldon slurred attempting to sit up on the edge of the bed but failing tremendously. He was just sort of wiggling around, his back seemingly glued to the bed.

Leonard watched in amusement, his brown eyes shining with humor and mirth.

"I'm not. I just... I had to drink because I was very sad. Leonard... _very_ sad." he muttered finally achieving an upright position poised on the edge of the bed.

The curly haired man nodded at him halfheartedly only slightly listening at his drunken ramblings. He was really very tired. He wished he were in his own bed just sleeping. He was so spent. Why was it that his room mate always seemed to cause problems at the very worst of times? He wished he could say this was the first or even second time he'd been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by his insane friend but no... no, this had happened too many times to count.

Leonard began to stand stumbling just slightly as he tried to make his way towards his own bedroom to retire for the night.

"Leonard?" that calm, innocent sounding voice questioned.

"Yes, Sheldon?" he sighed irritably reclining against the door frame.

"Will you just... stay here tonight? Please?"

Leonard glanced at the man. He was sitting upright, perched on the edge of his bed, his eyes as big as saucers. He was nervously wringing his hands together and Leonard couldn't quite understand just what he had to be so nervous about. Overall, the scene before him was really throwing him for a loop.

"And where am I supposed to sleep?" he queried fiercely.

"Well... in the bed with me, of course."

It struck Leonard how calm and rational Sheldon suddenly sounded. Then again, he always sounded like that, like he was just trying to help by correcting your terrible grammar.

The theoretical physicist pushed off the door frame and moved back towards the bed. He must have missed a step though because he soon found himself falling down onto the soft mattress. Leonard twisted around onto his back and a moment later felt Sheldon grasp at his worn robe roughly.

"Please?" Sheldon asked him peering quietly down into the brown eyes of the shorter, hobbit like man.

"Uh... " Leonard trailed off finding himself become drunk in the gaze of the laser beam blue eyes as he stared back at them wearily. He was also quite tired and sleep deprived. Had he mentioned that already? He wondered vaguely just when was the last time he had received a decent night's sleep? He decided it had to have been before moving in with this lunatic so... nearly nine years ago. No wonder he was tired.

Leonard bobbed his head up and down agreeing to something he wasn't quite sure was a good idea but not really caring at the moment. He turned himself over and began to stretch out next to the man crawling beneath the heavy covers that lay across the bed. Sheldon remained still leaning against the headboard at his backside.

Snuggling beneath the warm blankets Leonard felt himself close his eyes and begin to drift off to sleep happy to finally rest once more.

A silence passed over the room as Sheldon maneuvered back and forth sinking below the covers next to his friend. He glanced warily at him before finally shutting his eyes and falling into a deep, inebriated sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Two Years Ago

It was a beautiful day, gorgeous really. Sheldon hummed a song to himself as he walked the last block down Pennsylvania Avenue to Stuart's comic shop. He strolled in smiling brightly at the man as he stood behind the register and gave him a little wave.

What a wonderful mood he was in. It was new comic book night, his research was going extremely well, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. He felt as if he were on top of the world. Not literally of course. As he thumbed through the comics lined up in one of the bins, he was approached by his sometimes friend but more often than not acquaintance, Stuart.

"Hey Sheldon, you seem awfully happy today."

Sheldon paused his search through the comics. "Oh, and why wouldn't I be? Lately everything has been going so well for me. I have absolutely no complaints." He grinned at the man, returning back to them.

"Well, that's great. I'm happy for you." Stuart nodded giving him a tiny smile. "Wish I could say the same."

"Hang in there, buckaroo. Things can only go up from here!"

"Buckaroo?" The curly haired man asked as he gave him a baffled look.

Sheldon smiled at the man. "I've been watching a lot of westerns lately," he told him excitedly. "I'm into westerns now!"

Stuart still looked puzzled but nodded at the man. After all, he was Sheldon. He was an "odd chicken", to quote Raj.

"Well, let me know if you need anything." He said before making his way back to the counter.

The theoretical physicist busied himself once more with looking through various issues that were for sale. The door to the store opened and the bell above the door chimed signaling a customer. It was Leonard, to his room mate's surprise and he was making his way over to him.

"Leonard, what are you doing here?" He asked the shorter man.

He gave a little shrug and averted his gaze down to the comics, not really feeling in the mood to discuss anything.

Sheldon continued, "I was under the impression that you and Penny would be going out tonight, thus leaving me free to pursue whatever and of course, obtain dinner for myself. Was I wrong?"

The homunculus groaned in frustration rolling his eyes skyward before resting them on his friend. "No, Sheldon! You weren't wrong. It's just," he trailed off hesitantly. "Penny decided she'd rather go out tonight than go see the documentary with me."

He tried to focus back on the comics wishing the man would just drop it. Knowing him however meant he would not and Leonard would be forced to discuss the issue for no less than an hour until he fully understood.

"I don't understand. Were you not inviting her out with you somewhere? What is the difference in her going out and her going out with you to see the documentary? I think it sounds rather interesting actually."

"You do?" Leonard asked expectantly.

"Bazinga!" Sheldon laughed to himself, "You fell for another one of my classic pranks."

The vertically challenged physicist sighed heavily, deciding to just ignore the man.

His friend however didn't seem to pick up on any of his body language clues, not that he ever did. "Leonard, why is it you think that Penny doesn't share any of your interests? Do you believe, as I do, that it is because she is of a lower working class system and therefore, does not have anything in common with you?"

Great. He was trying to make it better, the Sheldon way! Leonard shoved his glasses farther up his nose and stepped back a bit from his room mate. "Sheldon! I don't want to talk about this. Just drop it already!"

He moved away from him hoping to get some peace and quiet. He didn't even know why he had come here. The plan had been for he and Penny to go catch the documentary at the theater and then go grab dinner. That would be followed by their usual date night activities with him staying over at her place, of course. Sheldon had had his night planned out as well beginning with a visit to the comics shop followed by some Chinese food, most likely.

His room mate watched him curiously as he made his way to the back of the store but made no effort to actually follow him. Stuart however was making a beeline for him so now he'd have to deal with talking to him about Penny, a subject which never seemed to stop being awkward.

"Hey, Leonard. Everything alright?" he asked, a concerned look playing across his face.

He shrugged halfheartedly in return and gave him a small smile. "Just Sheldon being Sheldon. You know how he is."

"Oh boy, do I!" Stuart nodded in sympathy. "So, you got any plans tonight? I mean, besides helping your friend out by spending lots of money in his store, which he is still struggling to keep open."

Stuart gave him a good-natured grin and then Leonard couldn't help but feel slightly better. "Yeah, Stuart. I know. I planned on picking up my usual, don't worry. New comic book night and all."

"Cool. Yeah, tonight's the night I look forward to all week. It really brings people in and almost makes up for the rest of the week when I barely sell anything at all."

Leonard gave him an empathetic look.

"Well, anyway gotta look on the bright side, right?" he smiled, shrugging his shoulders a bit. He noticed a customer heading up to the register, "Oh, uh, talk to ya later, Leonard!"

The experimental physicist watched the man jog all the way over to the customer. He smiled, beginning to feel a bit better. Glancing around the small shop, he spotted his room mate looming over in the action figure aisle. He strolled over to his friend deciding it was best just to take his mind off the whole situation. He tended to over think things and that never got him anywhere. In fact, it tended to make things in his life a whole lot worse.

"Hey, Sheldon. You ready to go? I was thinking maybe we could grab some Chinese food, see if Koothrappali wants to hang out or something."

Sheldon turned to open his mouth in reply but paused and regarded him for a moment. He seemed to rethink the statement he had wanted to make originally. "I was going to say something more on the Penny matter but I've come to realize that you may not want to talk about that issue further."

Leonard took a deep breath, trying to remain calm and gave his best friend a forced smile. "No, Sheldon. I do not want to talk about that issue any further."

His friend nodded at him and began to gather up his purchases. "Chinese sounds delightful. Perhaps, we could go and see that documentary after all. If you still have your heart set on going, of course."

The homunculus froze in place, a few steps behind his friend. "What, really?"

Sheldon spun around, a small grin playing on his face. "Bazinga!"

Leonard glared daggers at the back of the man's head as he maneuvered over to the register. "I'll bazinga you," he muttered.


End file.
